Ignite by Tana Stone
Chapter Seventeen
Kalex
“Anyone who believes you’re just a brilliant scientist should join you on the sparring mat,” I said to Vekron, as we walked side-by-side toward the inclinator.
We were both sweaty and shirtless, with only leather straps across our chests to hold sparring sticks. Luckily, it wasn’t unusual to see Drexian warriors in nothing but loose sparring pants on the crew level. Although the holographic battle rings were not completed and the separate gyms for the tribute brides and warriors remained under construction, there was one nondescript room covered in mats where warriors could practice their grappling skills. It was there that Vekron and I had spent our mid-day break, something that wasn’t unusual for us.
“I got lucky,” he said, glancing over at the red welt blooming across my tattooed arm. “You weren’t as aggressive as you normally are—or as quick to block my blows.”
I flinched at this assessment. He was right. I’d been sluggish on the mat, mostly because I’d had a restless sleep punctuated by dreams of Zoey that had made my night anything but peaceful. Not that I’d admit that to my officer.
“Was your mind on other things?” Vekron asked.
I waited a beat before answering. There wasn’t any way he knew about Zoey, was there? He wouldn’t have lingered outside the door of the officers’ club. I frowned at this thought. Of course not. Besides, when Zoey found me the night before she’d been looking for a fight. Even I would never have guessed how it had ended.
“If it’s the energy anomalies you’re worried about, I can help with that,” Vekron continued.
“The energy anomalies?” I said, before remembering what had preoccupied my mind before Zoey had upended my life. “Yes, well, it’s hard not to be concerned if there’s a possibility our enemy could be involved.”
“I’ve been focused on the waterfall addition to the atrium, but I can switch my attention if you need some extra manpower on it.”
I nodded, genuinely focusing on the issue for the first time since we’d talked about it the night before and experiencing a flash of guilt that I’d been so distracted. “Why don’t you join me on the bridge, and we can go over the data from all of Jax’s patrol flights?”
Vekron dropped his gaze to his own chest beaded with sweat. “Should we change back into our uniforms, captain?”
I glanced down at my own casual attire, my mouth quirking into a grin. It wouldn’t have been notable for Inferno Force warriors to be bare-chested on our battleships, but the Island was not an Inferno Force ship, and there were many others on board who weren’t Drexian. It was another reason I missed Inferno Force. “I suppose a captain does have to keep up appearances.”
“Just be glad Serge didn’t spot us. You know how he feels about our casual attitude toward nakedness.”
I thought about the Gatazoid and the multitude of layers he wore. I didn’t think I’d ever seen more than a flash of wrist or a hint that he had a throat. “You don’t think he’ll be in the canteen, do you?”
Vekron cut his eyes to the wide opening we were approaching, the clattering of dishes and the aroma of food telling us both where we were. “Does Serge eat Drexian food? I always imagined he had special meals flown in.”
I laughed. “That would not surprise me.”
My footsteps faltered as we drew closer to the expansive space with long slats cut into the walls for windows. I spotted Nina’s distinctive mane of curls, and then saw Zoey sitting across from her, facing me. Her expression was animated as she discussed something with her friend, her hands moving as she spoke.
“I’m not that hungry. Why don’t you grab food, while I get changed and head to the bridge?”
Vekron tilted his head at me. “You’re not hungry after that workout?”
I was starving, my stomach rumbling in response to the scent of charred padwump. But I shook my head. I didn’t want to risk having to act normal around Zoey or expect her to act normally around me. In my experience, women had a difficult time hiding their emotions, and after a night with me, most women I’d been with had been effusive with their affection. And that was the last thing I needed.
“I can wait,” I said, glancing back into the canteen once more. Before I could look away and rush toward the inclinator at the end of the corridor, Zoey looked up and met my eyes. “Grek.”
Vekron swiveled his head to follow my gaze as Zoey jumped from her chair and started moving swiftly through the canteen toward the exit—and me. “She doesn’t look happy.”
No, she didn’t. Now my main concern wasn’t that she’d be too effusive with her affections. It was that she didn’t seem to have any increased affection for me at all.
I backed away from the doorway. “Maybe I should talk to her later—”
“Kalex!”
My entire body stiffened. I’d been so eager to hear her scream my name last night, but this was not the same thing. She couldn’t possibly intend to make a scene in front of Vekron and all the diners in the canteen who were now goggling at us. I pivoted to face her, giving her a stiff nod. “Zoey.”
Her dark eyes blazed as she advanced on me, even though they flickered for a moment when she noticed that I was bare-chested. “When were you planning on telling me about the anomalies?”
I stared down at her as I processed her question, crossing my arms over my chest. “You’re angry because I didn’t tell you about the energy anomalies?”
She fought to keep her gaze from my slick chest muscles. “Of course. Why else would I be angry at you?”
Because I fucked you on a table in the officers’ club? Because I took you without mercy and came inside you?
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Unless there’s more pertinent station information you’re keeping from me?”
“No,” I said, regaining my composure and ensuring that my face was blank. “And I wasn’t keeping the information from you. I fully intended to tell you.”
“When?”
I couldn’t exactly tell her that I’d planned on talking to her about the issue when I’d come to her quarters and instead ended up kissing her, or that I’d been too busy bending her over the table to discuss energy fluctuations the night before. I held her gaze for a moment without speaking, and her eyes dropped as she clearly came to this realization on her own. She shifted from one foot to the other but didn’t meet my eyes.
Now irritation flared within me. Not only was Zoey acting like nothing had happened between us, but she was also making me wonder if anything had happened. If my memories of fucking her hadn’t been so vivid, I would have thought I was getting the first signs of space madness.
“If you have an issue with how I command, you should come to me privately,” I said, my voice low and gravelly.
She jerked her head up. “This isn’t about how you command, and I shouldn’t have to set up special meetings with you to be kept in the loop.”
I sighed. On one hand, it was nice to know that no one would ever guess our naked bodies had been writhing together only hours earlier. But another part of me couldn’t believe we were back to the same old fights. Clearly, nothing had changed between us for Zoey.
Nina had run from the canteen to join us, and she and Vekron were both ping-ponging their heads back and forth between the two of us as we argued. When we both locked eyes in silence, Nina jumped in. “Now we all know, so no harm, no foul, right?”
“We do all have the same information,” Vekron said, nodding at Nina as if the two of them had planned such a smooth intervention. “Now we can work together to keep the station safe. That’s what we all want, isn’t it?”
“That’s what I want,” Zoey said, bracing her hands on her hips and meeting my eyes in challenge. “I don’t know about the captain. He’s so eager to get back to his Inferno Force ship maybe he wouldn’t mind if something happened to the station.”
Nina inhaled so sharply she squeaked. “Zo, you don’t mean that.”
Zoey’s face did flicker regret, but I didn’t wait for her to speak. Instead, I snatched her by the arm and dragged her into a nearby supply room as Nina and Vekron looked on in shock.
I slammed the door behind us as Zoey struggled to get away from my grip. “What the hell was that?”
I released her but blocked the door with my body as I stared her down. “I was going to ask you the same question. Clearly, I didn’t fuck all the fight out of you last night.”